Catching Up

Thankful for the physical well-being and energy I’ve had this summer that has enabled me to keep up with the garden (though not with sharing its joy online!). Above, a selection of late-summer delights, starting with a plumtini, just a martini shaken with a very ripe plum, yum!

Thankful for half a dozen perfect strawberries gleaned from as many plants. Maybe next summer they’ll do better, but each fruit was certainly a burst of flavor as bright as its color.

Thankful for last month’s Harvest micro-moon rising directly behind Castle Rock
Thankful for snapdragons, bumblebees, and … colors everywhere!
Thankful for mother’s little helper Biko, eating aphid infested kale or broken tomatoes as needed to supplement his primary diet of bindweed, prickly lettuce, bad grasses and other weeds. Now semi-retired for the year, he spends a few hours outside some warm days and otherwise slumbers in his laundry room nook.

The past months have been a whirlwind of harvesting, pickling, canning, freezing, cutting back, drying, fermenting and other fun fall festivities. I’ve been spinning through each day drenched in gratitude, swimming in astonishing colors, savoring and storing for winter the flavors of summer.

It’s almost impossible to believe I am the same person as that awkward little girl in the DC suburbs who spent every free minute curled up in an armchair reading books. How did I come to be here? Living close to the land in this fertile valley for almost half my life now has allowed me to approach some understanding of my true nature, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

9 thoughts on “Catching Up

  1. It appears that a very large dog is eating the rabbit in the moon! Love the hummers, the colors, and a chance to see Biko!

  2. Your pictures are fabulous! I too am grateful for my sweet and funny cousin who nurtures the earth and me. Your red penstamen reminded me of one of my favorite fall bloomers the pineapple sage. It has pretty green leaves all summer, gets 3 feet tall then in September it puts out 6 to 10 inch spikes of scarlet flowers. I’ll send you a picture tomorrow. I am also longing for a plumtini thanks to you.

    Sent from my iPhone

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  3. You could have sold that Castle rock photo for big bux to Stephen King. I just finished “Needful Things” which was set in a fictive Castle Rock, only in Maine. It is an excellent tale of psychological manipulation by an evil force in a small town.

    Aside from that Dr Ann and I have decided to head west next summer so you are here forewarned!

  4. I am not sure how you the bookworm ended up here, but just so over the moon grateful to find myself here at the same time and place. Thanks for sharing your soul place with all of us Rita!

  5. I’m so glad you’re feeling so well, dear Sweeta. Bravo on living your life, your way, so well. And thank you for being in my life. xoxo

  6. I would like to see a slide show with your photos set to music. What kind of music would it be? Enya? Vivaldi? John Lennon? You need new music, composed just for the pictures; it has to reflect the love and peace you send into the world 🙂

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